FIRST RESULTS IN THE ROMANIAN BREEDING PROGRAM OF ACTINIDIA ARGUTA

In 1993, after the planting in Romania of the first kiwifruit orchards, several research programs were done to establish the correct technology for cultivation and propagation.
At the same time, a breeding program of kiwifruit species was initiated using the hybrid seedlings obtained by Prof.
Giuseppe Zuccherelli at Vitroplant, Cesena.
Chinese gooseberry (Actinidia arguta Sieb. et Zucc.) is an interesting kiwifruit species from the Actinidia genus and it was included in our breeding program.
Being more frost resistant than the others and having tasty small fruits, smooth skin with different aroma and flesh color, Actinidia arguta can be used in Romania in commercial and amateurs orchards.
The initial hybrid material was obtained by free and controlled crosses between different genotypes of Actinidia arguta: ‘Francesca’, ‘Rosana’, ‘Jumbo’, ‘AA2’, ‘AA5’, ‘AA6’, ‘AA8’ and the male parent ‘ARM’. More than 1000 hybrid seedlings were planted in 1993 in the selection field at the Faculty of Horticulture in Bucuresti.
The seedlings were grouped by origin, in two families: Jumbo Family and Red fruits Family.
In 2001, the first flowers and fruits were obtained and the selection continued in 2002 and 2003. After the first two years of fruit selection, only 2 male plant elites and 8 female plant elites with interesting fruit characteristics were chosen to be multiplied and tested in the next steps of selection.
For the female elites, fruits were analyzed physically and biochemically at ripening and after different periods of storage.

XI Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

F. Stănică, C. Gavriluţ, M. Dumitraşcu, A.G. Peticilă, G. Zuccherelli

Chinese gooseberry, hybrid seedlings, selection, fruit characteristics

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.663.156